Champagne Warrior

• By Brad Baker
  November 2009, Issue #4, Tasting Notes/Wine Reviews

  (Gaston Chiquet Special Club) Subscribe to see review text.

Burghound

• By Allen Meadows
  October 2009, Issue #36 (link)

  (Gaston Chiquet Brut - Special Club White) Subscribe to see review text.

Vinous

• By Antonio Galloni
  New Releases from Champagne (Dec 2008) (link)

  (Gaston Chiquet Special Club) Subscribe to see review text.

• By Josh Raynolds
  November/December 2008, IWC Issue #141 (link)

  (Gaston Chiquet Special Club Brut) Subscribe to see review text.

ChampagneGuide.net

• By Peter Liem
  (link)

  (Gaston Chiquet Spécial Club Brut) Subscribe to see review text.

Garagiste

• By Jon Rimmerman
  11/22/2008 (link)

  (Gaston-Chiquet SPECIAL CLUB Brut) Holiday Champagne - G Dear Friends, I've sampled my fair share of Champagne over the last 20 years (not all of it ended up in the spittoon) and the transformation in the region has been stunning. Never has there been such a diverse and directed group of producers in every town wiling to burn the midnight oil to prove that Champagne is on par with great Burgundy or Bordeaux (not that most of us needed convincing of this fact). Champagne still has its fair share of under-performing houses or those attempting to beat the system with high-priced wine that is resting on the laurels of the appellation but (in general) there has never been a better time to discover the small producers and boutique grower-Champagne that was simply unavailable 15-20 years ago. Circa 1990, the entire region was dominated by a handful of very large commercial houses that had little competition for the world's dinner table - that is just not the case anymore. Producers in Champagne are now in a race to see who will outlast the other and it's forced everyone to increase their quality while declassifying more and more wine that would have gone into top bottlings in the past. You are the beneficiary of this ground-swell renaissance - one of the more profound in the vinous world. As a vacation destination, I highly recommend a visit to this area - a mere day-trip away from Paris. You will be greeted with open arms and the excitement in the region is palpable for knowledgeable and neophyte alike. All of the examples below are exceptional for what they are - you can throw darts and be assured of exemplary price/value for this level of quality. Both power and finesse represented - you can pick your style of choice but all of these will age very well, even the NV cuvees that should keep well for 6-10 years. Keep in mind, 1996 and 2002 are not the only years that vintage Champagne is worth investigating - you can experiment with 1998, 1999 and 2000 while you wait for your 1996 and 2002 wine to mature (drinking either vintage right now is il advised). Also keep in mind, if looking up other TNs, they are invariably for other NV disgorgements as these are the newest kids on the block - all have just arrived and will be available for pick up in a few weeks (well in time for Christmas/New Year's): NV Godme Brut Reserve 1er Cru (Verzenay) NV Gatinois Brut Grand Cru Rose' (Ay) 1999 Gaston-Chiquet Special Club Brut (Dizy) 2000 Gimonnet Brut Special Club (Cuis) (this wine is very difficult to find - an outstanding vintage example that is superior to their 1996 by a wide margin) ...plus a wonderful magnum that would make any holiday celebration a grand affair: NV Gaston-Chiquet Brut Blanc de Blanc 1.5lt (Ay) EXTREMELY LIMITED (VERY RARE in magnum - this is the best parcel of the NV BdB cuvee culled for magnums and it's a gorgeous wine - this is not the regular Tradition bottling, it's above that level) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Champ9730 Champ9740 Champ9750 Champ9760 Champ9770